Injury cloud hovers over brutal stretch of schedule

It appears the Chargers will continue to trudge through the heart of their schedule short-handed.

With the undefeated Green Bay Packers coming to town Sunday and a game against the always-bruising Oakland Raiders four days after that, the already-staggered Chargers were without nine players at practice Wednesday.

“When you play on Monday and come back and practice on Wednesday, that’s part of it,” head coach Norv Turner said. “But it is an unusual number.”

A number of those players are considered in danger of being significantly limited or sidelined altogether against the Packers.

Chiefly, there remains grave concern that outside linebacker Shaun Phillips (foot) and running backs Ryan Mathews (groin) and Curtis Brinkley (concussion) will be unable to play Sunday. Phillips didn’t make the trip to Kansas City last weekend. Mathews and Brinkley were injured in Monday’s loss to the Chiefs.

The Chargers are also anxious about the status of their top two wide receivers, Vincent Jackson (hamstring) and Malcom Floyd (hip). Both played the entire game at Kansas City but remain hampered by their respective lingering injuries. Even if they can play Sunday, they could be limited.

And while left guard Kris Dielman remains out and is virtually certain to miss his second game due to a concussion, Tyronne Green, who started for Dielman against the Chiefs, sat out Wednesday with a hand injury. It is believed Green can play with a cast on his arm.

Reserve linebacker Na’il Diggs suffered a knee injury Monday and is not ready to practice.

Defensive end Luis Castillo, who has been out since the season opener and is expected to miss at least four more games, was the ninth player to miss practice.

The good news for the Chargers was that after playing 75 snaps Monday, tight end Antonio Gates participated fully in Wednesday’s practice. Running back Mike Tolbert, who sat against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury, also practiced full.

“You’re going to have some rough times,” Turner acknowledged. “The biggest thing for me is to get our guys healthy. Get our key guys out there on the field, and I think some of the adversity will go away.”